Letter and package opener



Dec 26, 1950 J. o. TILLY LETTER AND PACKAGE OPENER Filed April 17, 1947 Jrwentor G M O.

Gttorneg Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LETTER AND PACKAGE OPENER 31' ames 0. Tilly, Tulsa, Okla.

Application April 1'7, 1947, Serial No. 742,034

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to letter and package openers, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind comprising a handle member having longitudinally assembled thereon a blade holder and means cooperating with the blade holder for forcing one end of an angularly positioned blade in the blade holder against a bevelled shoulder carried by the handle member,

A further object is to provide a letter and package opener comprising a handle member and a blade carrying member and means for moving said members in relation to each other for gripping and holding a blade in an angular position to said members.

A further object is to provide the blade carrying member with a cylindrical portion carried by a web of the blade carrying member and longitudinally assembled in a chamber of the handle member and a jam nut threaded into the chamber of the handle member and cooperating with the rear end of the cylindrical member of the blade carrying member.

A further object is to provide a chamber in the cylindrical member carried by the blade carrying member for the reception of spare blades.

With the above and other objects in View the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment a of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the opener.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the same made on a larger scale and modified for use as a package opener.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 5-3: of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the forward end of the device.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates the cylindrical handle member, the forward end of which terminates in a flattened guide member 2. Handle member and guide member 2 may be formed from a plastic material and in various colors, and is adapted to receive advertising matter if desired,

Handle member I, at its rear end, is provided with a longitudinally extending chamber 3, the rear end of which chamber is threaded at 4 for the reception of the retaining plug 5, which plug cooperates with the rear end of the cylindrical portion 6 of the blade holder 7 as shown in Figure 1. The portion 5 is adapted to receive in the chamber 8 thereof spare blades, similar to the blade 9, so that blades can be renewed from time to time.

Blade holder 1 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal bent to form the cylindrical portion 6, depending flange 9a and cylindrical guide finger Ill. It will be noted that the flange 9a is disposed in the slot l l in the under side of the body I, and by removin the plug 5 the blade carrying member 1 may be entirely removed from the handle. When the device is assembled the plug 5 forces the cylindrical member 6 forwardly and jams the upper edge of the angularly disposed blade 9 against the upwardly and rearwardly inclined limiting shoulder M of the body member. Blade 9 inclines upwardly and rearwardly at the same angle as the shoulder l2 and i engaged at its rear lower corner by the shoulders I3 formed by pressing outwardly flanges M at the forward side of the flange 9a. It will be noted that when the plug 5 is tightened the rear end of the blade 9 will be rigidly gripped between shoulders l2 and IS. The lower forward end of the blade 9 extends into the chamber Illa of the guide finger with one of its corners in engagement with the shoulder 15 of the guide finger, and its other corner in engagement at 16 with the bottom of the chamber of the guide finger l6, hence it will be seen that both ends of the blade are rigidly held. In the light form of the device, for letter openers, shown in Figures 1 and 2, the forward end of the guide finger may be further braced by a transverse rivet i1.

Referring to Figures 4, 5 and 6, the operation is the same as in Figure 1, however it is particularly designed for heavier Work, such as opening packages, consequently is made on a larger scale, but diifers in that the guide finger i8 is flattened and is solid at its forward end id for adding rigidity for heavier duty.

The registering parts forming the flange 9a in this form are spot welded together as shown at 20 to further brace the device.

From the above it will be seen that a letter and package opener is provided, which is simple in construction, the parts reduced to a minimum, and one whereby the device may be easily assembled or disassembled as desired.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

A letter opener comprising an elongated cylindrical handle member, a finger below said handle in spaced relation thereto and of reduced cross sectional area in relation to the handle, said finger being chambered, a flange carried by the upper side of the finger at its rear end, said flange extending upwardl through an elongated slot in the under side of the handle, said slot extending through the rear end of the handle, said flange being formed from registering plates carried by the upper side of the finger at the rear end of the finger, the upper ends of .said registering plates terminating in a cylindrical chambered member having its axis in the plane of-the flange and disposed in a longitudinal chamber extending into the rear end of the handle, a threaded'plug threaded into the rear end of the handle-and engaging the rear end of the cylindrical chambered member toforce said finger forwardly in relation to the handle, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined blade interposed between the finger and the handle member, the lower end of said blade tions of the registering plates being outwardly ofiset and thereby forming a 'shoulderfengaging the lower rear end of the blade.

JAMES O. TILLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 642,689 Garllus Feb. 6, 1900 2,131,358 Rothschild Sept. 27, 1938 2,266,916 teele Dec. 23,1941 2,439,639 Tilly Apr. '13, 1948 

